Method of ensuring audit integrity in e-supply chain

Abstract

A method is described of ensuring audit integrity in a supply chain for services requested by one node from another in a distributed network of computers, such nodes including an e-service provider and a plurality of product suppliers. The method particularly relates to the supply of a product which utilises valuable data for its production, and contains a negotiating phase for negotiating with at least one of the product suppliers for the production of the product and selecting a product supplier to produce and supply the product. In the negotiating phase, there is provision to the product suppliers of data address reference information relating to the location of the valuable data without the supply of the data to any of the product suppliers. The method also includes a production and supply phase in which the selected product supplier produces or arranges to produce the product and to supply the product, and the valuable data is provided in response to a request for the data. The method including logging the and any other request for the valuable data. The method may also include an order phase in which an order enquiry from a consumer is accepted for supply of such a product.

1 . A method of ensuring audit integrity in a supply chain for services requested by one node from another in a distributed network of computers, such nodes including a consumer, an e-service provider and a plurality of product suppliers, the method including in an order phase accepting an order enquiry from a consumer for the supply of a product which utilises valuable data for its production, and in a negotiating phase negotiating with at least one of the product suppliers for the production of the product and selecting a product supplier to produce and supply the product, and in the negotiating phase, providing to the product suppliers, data address reference information relating to the location of the valuable data without supplying the data to any of the product suppliers; and in a production and supply phase in which the selected product supplier produces or arranges to produce the product and to supply the product, providing the valuable data in response to a request for the data, and the method including logging the and any other request for the valuable data.  
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the order enquiry from the consumer includes a job ticket relating to the consumer's preferences for the product, and the method includes during the negotiating phase, supplying job ticket information including a transaction identifier, at least some of the consumer's preferences, and information relating to the product to be produced, to the potential product suppliers to facilitate meaningful negotiations.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the data address reference information includes a URL of the address location of the data.  
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 3  wherein the data address reference information includes a transaction identifier.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to claim I wherein when any request is received for the valuable data, the URL of the requester is logged.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the product is a printed product, and the method includes supplying the valuable data to a requester as a binary large object so that optimum print quality for the image may be obtained.  
     
     
         7 . A method of ensuring audit integrity in a supply chain for services requested by one node from another in a distributed network of computers, said nodes including a service provider and a plurality of product suppliers, the method including an order phase in which a consumer makes an order enquiry to the service provider for the supply of a product which utilises valuable data for its production, a negotiating phase in which the service provider negotiates with at least one of the product suppliers for the production of the product; and a production and supply phase in which a selected product supplier produces or arranges to produce the product and to supply the product, and wherein during the negotiating phase the service provider provides to the product suppliers data address reference information relating to the location of the valuable data without supplying the data to any of the product suppliers, and for the supply phase, the selected product supplier requesting and retrieving the valuable data from the data address reference information, and the method including logging every request for the valuable data.